The fabrication of semiconductor-based circuitry comprises formation of highly integrated electrical components (with example electrical components being transistors, resistors and capacitors), and thus comprises forming electrical components in close proximity to each other. Electrically insulative materials (which may also be referred to herein as dielectric materials) may be used to create isolation structures that are utilized to electrically isolate various electrical components from one another.
One method of electrically isolating adjacent electrical components from one another is to use trench isolation. Trench isolation may be formed by creating trenches in a semiconductor material, and then filling the trenches with insulative material.
One type of insulative material that may be used to fill the trenches is silicon oxide formed from spin-on dielectric (SOD) material. Example SOD materials are polysilazanes. When polysilazanes are utilized as SOD materials, the formation of silicon oxide may comprise multiple steps. Initially, spin-on methodology may be used to fill trenches with polysilazane. Subsequently, the polysilazane within the trenches may be converted to silicon oxide by exposing the polysilazane to oxidant and appropriate thermal conditions.
A problem that may occur during utilization of SOD materials is that the SOD materials may create stresses within the adjacent semiconductor material, and such stresses may propagate into dislocations or other defects in the semiconductor material during the subsequent thermal treatments. Accordingly, it is desired to develop new methods for utilizing SOD materials to form isolation structures.